This invention relates to a machine for firmly holding paper, and, in particular, sheets of paper to which adhesive, gummed cloth or other material is to be attached at one edge to make the material into pads or books.
In the past sheets of paper have been held in permanent position by placing heavy weights on the top of sheets of paper which is still sometimes done today. However, most of such gluing and padding operations are today accomplished with a padding press. However in using some equipment commonly available in the padding press field, the paper to be padded is jogged or shaken on the padding edge and then the paper is turned so that the padding edge faces away from the operator. The paper is then stacked against the backboard of the press. The entire press including the pads or tablet must then be lifted from the base, turned 180 degrees so that the padding edge faces the operator before the padding adhesive can be applied. Such devices make it difficult to stack the sheets straight in the press and difficult to keep the sheets aligned on the padding edge while they are turned 180 degrees. Another disadvantage of such existing padding presses is that in some cases the operator must tighten a thumb screw or a similar device at the left and right edge of the pads or tablets, turning first one and then the other back and forth until the desired pressure is achieved.
Some of the padding presses of the prior art provide for swiveling the stack of sheets on the base to bring the padding edge in alignment with the operator after stacking. Other presses are on casters and the entire press must be rolled around 180 degrees, or the operator may walk around to the back side to apply the padding adhesive to the padding edge. One of the disadvantages of the equipment of the prior art is that a large amount of time is required to stack the sheets into the press. Also it is difficult to stack the sheets straight. A considerable amount of physical exertion on the part of the operator is required to apply the necessary pressure to the pad and a large clamping area is required even when only a short stack of sheets is to be padded. Exemplary of the padding presses of the prior art are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,146,942; 3,986,447; 2,654,932; 2,641,781; 2,494,424; 2,169,341; 1,928,789; and 1,024,721.